FW
Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety has appointed former US ambassador James F Moriarty as country director. Moriarty was the executive director of Alliance, prior to this assignment. He will now lead strategic oversight and outreach activities with key stakeholders in Bangladesh’s government, garment industry, and non governmental and non profit organizations.
Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety is a platform of 28 North American retailers and brands. With safety inspections completed in all Alliance factories, 1.2 million workers trained in fire safety at least once, and 50 per cent of factory repairs now complete, there has been significant progress in Alliance activities in Bangladesh.
As country director, Moriarty will spend more time in Bangladesh working with the Alliance’s partners to support Bangladesh’s efforts to improve garment factories after the Alliance comes to a close in 2018. Moriarty comes aboard as managing director Rabin Mesbah transitions to lead the building and fire safety division of Elevate, the management firm responsible for designing, managing and executing all Alliance remediation and training efforts in Bangladesh.
Moriarty looks forward to having even more active engagement with key stakeholders to help Alliance achieve its shared vision of a safer readymade garment industry for Bangladeshi workers.
Vietnam will host denims show organized by Denimsandjeans.com from June 16 and 17, 2016. This event will serve as a platform for the denim and sportswear supply chain in this region. It will bring together some of the most reputed local fabric and apparel manufacturers, international mills, chemical and accessory suppliers in the supply chain together at one place.
The show will also organise a series of seminars, panel discussions, and presentations. Internationally recognized denim expert Giovanni Petrin will hold a seminar titled Blues Revolution and Jeanologia, the leading textile technology company, will hold a conference titled Vietnam Horizon 2020, A View to the Future. The show aims at giving global exposure to the Vietnamese apparel industry.
Vietnam is the second largest exporter of apparel and footwear to the US, just behind China. Major US retailers such as Sara Lee, JC Penney, Express, The Gap, Macy's, Nordstrom's, Mast Industries and American Eagle source a sizeable portion of their imports from Vietnam.
As a result of the TPP, Vietnam will eliminate taxes on 98.4 per cent of textile and apparel exports to the US immediately and 100 per cent within four years.
About 54 per cent of total US textile and apparel exports went to TPP markets in 2014.
An apparel and textile fair was held in Abu Dhabi, April 16 and 17. This was dedicated to fashion, fabrics, machinery, accessories and prints. The fair has evolved as a trade show over the last four years and is continuously growing. This year 2500 plus visitors attended the show and 75 new companies participated.
International Apparel and Textile Fair is the largest trade fair in the Mena region and the most important platform for the textile industry, both in UAE and in the world. This year the event dedicated to the textile supply chain grew by 5.42 per cent and was attended by numerous professional visitors from the industry.
The textile industry in the UAE is considered a close second to oil among the country’s other trading sectors. The textile industry is vital to the growth of UAE’s economy due to its contribution to industrial output, employment generation and foreign exchange earnings.
Knitted fabric faces the maximum demand in the UAE, accounting for around 49.7 per cent, followed by woven fabrics. Trade organizations in the country are hopeful that the UAE will exhibit more growth and profitability through the bulk import and re-export of textiles and textile articles, particularly from China and India in times to come.
International Apparel and Textile Fair, a dedicated platform for the textile trade, has been focusing and dedicating ensuring better trade movement in this area and also through its last three editions has pushed forward the region in the world textile map.
Sri Lanka will establish mini garment factories in under developed provinces to empower women in rural areas. About 150 mini garment factories will come up in select districts. Under the program, rural women will be selected through a transparent method and priority will be given to those who belong to displaced families and who became widows due to the civil war.
The women will be given training in tailoring by the Sri Lanka Institute of Textile and Apparel while the National Entrepreneurship Development Authority and the Industrial Development Board will train them in entrepreneurship development. Assistance in designing will be provided by the National Design Centre and the Jathika Shilpa Sabawa. The program is designed to encourage small and medium scale entrepreneurs in approaching the international market and provide job opportunities for rural women.
Sri Lanka’s apparel export industry is the most significant and dynamic contributor to Sri Lanka’s economy. The industry has enjoyed epic growth levels over the past four decades and is today Sri Lanka’s primary foreign exchange earner, accounting for 40 per cent of total exports. This industry, entirely privately owned, has successfully exploited opportunities in the international market.
The country has the highest apparel exports per capita of any exporting nation in the region.
Due to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) being implemented between 12 member nations, by 2017 India may easily lose around $1-2 billion or more in terms of garment and fabric exports. TPP mandates that for member countries to export garments to each other, they should source 75 per cent of the raw materials like yarn and fabric within themselves. With India not being part of the TPP, the country could lose in terms of yarn exports to Vietnam and other TPP member countries as well as garment exports to US which would now shift to other TPP member nations.
As per the observation of a senior official at the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), while the TPP is yet to be ratified, the agreement is likely to be implemented by 2017. Said the AEPC official, if so, then India's cotton yarn, fabric and apparel trade with TPP members would be affected. For instance, India exports $200-300 million worth cotton yarn to Vietnam which would be impacted since the latter would now source the same from within the TPP members.
The overall impact on loss of business to India in terms of textile and clothing exports could be anywhere between $1 billion and $2 billion, coupled with apparel exports to the US itself which is roughly worth $4 billion from India.
Sri Lanka finance minister Mangala Samaraweera feels his country has tremendous potential to become a hub for design, development and logistics in the global apparel industry. At the Annual General Meeting of Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association, Samaraweera said the government is particularly keen to see the development of local design, innovative product development and research and development. He said Sri Lanka should one day be seen as the hub for design, development and logistics for all major global apparel players which would enable true value-creation in the apparel industry.
The Minister says liberalisation of the shipping and freight forwarding agency sectors would also contribute to more competitive freight rates for Sri Lanka's exporters, including apparel exporters and this measure would in turn help attract international investment to would enable Sri Lanka to become a logistics hub. A world-class logistics network is also essential to help connect with global value chains. Significant steps are being taken to enhance trade facilitation measures, such as a single window, a trade information portal, etc.
The German Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jörn Rohde, said in order to achieve this aim, Sri Lanka needed to follow standards of other hub economies in Asia. He said, when it comes to being a hub, all hub economies have one thing in common, whether it's Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, etc., they have very low corruption indicators, efficient fiscal and legal infrastructure and competitive tax systems. These are precisely some of the benchmarks and Sri Lanka can achieve. Looking at current benchmark indicators such as the 'Ease of Doing Business' and 'World Competitiveness Report', Sri Lanka ranks 107 (2016) and 71 (2016–2017) respectively. These rankings clearly show that Sri Lanka has room for improvement. Also, investments will come more than they are coming at the moment. German investment in Sri Lanka for the last 5 years was EUR 130 million, which is a number that should be increased.
"Asia’s leading exhibition for home textiles industry to be held from August 24-27, will see around 1,400 international and domestic suppliers. The Autumn edition will again feature InterDesign, following the success of revamped design and trend program last August. With a combination of trend forecasting, conceptual designs, product demonstrations and seminars, the program is intended to benefit the entire home textiles and design industry."
Asia’s leading exhibition for home textiles industry to be held from August 24-27, will see around 1,400 international and domestic suppliers. The Autumn edition will again feature InterDesign, following the success of revamped design and trend program last August. With a combination of trend forecasting, conceptual designs, product demonstrations and seminars, the program is intended to benefit the entire home textiles and design industry. Not only does it provide inspiration and market direction for both exhibitors and buyers, it also allows designers to play a more in-depth role in the home textiles industry.
The InterDesign consists of three parts: Trend Area, Trend Space Installation and Forum Space. Trend concepts for 2017 will be demonstrated and discussed throughout the fair, allowing show participants to have a better understanding on the upcoming market direction so as to take advantage of it for their business.
Considered as Asia’s top exhibition for home textiles industry, the event will see around 1,400 international and domestic suppliers. Products including upholstery fabrics and other home related items including bedding & towelling, carpets & rugs, sun-protection systems & curtain accessories, digital printing and original service designs & artwork will be on display.
Lifestyle themes by trend committee
The trend committee comprise of experts from the Nelly RodiTM Agency, the internationally renowned trendsetter, and five other specialists from diverse backgrounds including an international home textile brand, a floral designer, brand designers and an architect, has interpreted the latest consumer lifestyle trends from various perspectives. Each expert will share their knowledge, inspiration and exchange visions on trend evolutions considering consumer demand, the retail and contract markets, as well as new technologies. To offer the most suitable trends for the industry, the committee also merged their visions with sociological insights from a study on consumer behaviour. This year’s Intertextile International Lifestyle Trend keyword is ‘Far Away,’ four themes have been developed to express this concept:
Sweet Dreams: Under Nature’s influence, this lifestyle looks to the great outdoors, communes with the elements and cultivates the kind of mystery found in the mild. Realistic Utopias: The ambience is esthetically pleasing, precious and refined. It goes back to essentials. This quest for excellence is reflected in luxurious simplicity and a minimalist, albeit sophisticated, lifestyle. Happy Manifesto: This theme unites folklore, influences and know-how in an energising, stimulating mix. The luxuriance of these associations of graphic and cultural references is positively extravagant. Exquisite Temptation: This design mode has a predilection for collaging shapes in a clash of periods and cultures. Late 19th-century Victorian meets family crests as well as surrealistic and theatrical objects. There’s an esoteric aura and magic in the air.
The committee will select the latest products submitted by exhibitors, with reference to these four themes. Products that are in line with the respective themes will be chosen and be presented through product displays in the Trend Area, providing buyers with real-life examples of the 2017 trends.
Bringing 2017 trends to life
The InterDesign program is set to expand its presence this year with a new presentation, considering the positive feedback from both exhibitors and buyers in 2015: Trend Space Installation. Well-known local designers from the Trend Committee will cooperate with leading industry brands to transform these brands’ products into art installations. Spread throughout the fairground, the installations will bring the four trend themes to life, and provide inspiration for fairgoers for 2017.
Adding to the product and art presentations are the Forum Space and a series of comprehensive seminars. Designers and trend experts are invited to express and exchange their perspectives on topics including interior decorations and market trends, while fair participants can also get more stimulation from a number of seminars about the market and latest technology. More details of these features will be released closer to the fair.
This week, ICE Cotton July contracts remained under pressure and hit more than two week's low of 61.63 cents per pound. A pickup in the pace of cotton planting in the US and renewed strength in the US dollar index acted as negative factors for the dollar-denominated fiber prices.
According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) weekly cotton planting report, favourable climatic conditions in the US helped speed up the fiber planting in the country, with 16 per cent of cotton planting complete, up compared to 10 per cent in the prior week and against 15 per cent last year.
Moreover, the start of China's auction from its huge reserve stock also kept prices under check. The agency is expected to release up to 2 million tonnes of cotton from its reserves. Sale of the country's cotton reserves that started on May 3 would continue till August 31, 2016.
Additionally, industry group International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) raised its estimates for global output to 22.96 million tonnes while lowering its demand forecast by 120,000 tonnes to 23.77 million tonnes, leaving the world with an ending stock at 19.59 million tonnes for the 2016-2017 season, which is higher than expected projections.
In addition to this, continuous rise in ICE stock level also exerted pressure on prices this week. Exchange inventories stood at 61,273 (480-lb) bales as of May 4, 2016, up more than 6 per cent from 57,746 bales as of April 29, 2016.
Jeanswear industry will gather in Barcelona, Spain May 18-19 for Denim Première Vision to examine what it means to be ‘true denim’ and to present the best of Autumn/Winter 2017-2018. Denim Première Vision will present three diverse themes for attendees to discover: Crafters, Anachromix, and Weirdologist, in addition to hosting 95 exhibitors from all aspects of the denim supply chain. The trends are a hybrid of new inspirations, bold workwear and flashbacks to parts of denim’s history.
As denim’s appeal spreads beyond pure players, the trade show will re-examine denim’s roots and how its past can inspire both its core group of designers as well as the growing number of luxury and up-and-coming designers that are adding denim to their collections.
It is a trend Première Vision has experienced at recent editions of its main textile event, Première Vision Paris. During the last two shows in February and September, the show received more requests for denim in fashion collections - a telling sign that luxury designers are coming to grips with denim and actually liking it.
Vietnam's small and medium apparel enterprises struggled to survive in the first quarter of 2016. Many of them suspended production as their customers shifted orders to Myanmar and Laos to enjoy lower prices.
Vietnam exported $27.4 billion worth of apparel last year and over $8 billion in this year's first four months, up six per cent against the same period a year earlier. But despite rising shipments, the industry is coping with a slew of challenges. While apparel products of Myanmar and Laos enjoy special tariffs for exports to Europe and the US, Vietnamese firms have to wait until 2018 to make use of preferential tariffs to export products to these two major markets when the new free trade agreements with them take effect.
Additionally, apparel enterprises have become exhausted by so many inspections by customs, taxation, labor, environment and food safety authorities, with up to three or four inspection teams a quarter.
Vietnam’s apparel exports exceeded $27 billion last year against a target of $20 billion for 2020. That means the target for 2020 needs to be revised. In addition the country’s industrial parks need to be developed to facilitate management and wastewater treatment.
